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Short description

It's a very useful technique if you want to learn about course
participants' expectations concerning a course, what they bring to the
course (pre-existing knowledge), what they want to gain during the
course, what's their motivation, etc. Such information can help you in
designing and facilitating the course. Most preferably, the technique
is used during the first course meeting.

Process description

First of all, you should email learners with instructions for the activity.

Post a discussion topic on the learning platform with the following
questions (and any other that you find useful):

What skills and/or knowledge related to the course topic do you
have at this time?

What do you want to learn during this course?

How will you determine whether this course has been successful
for you?

Motivate each participant to give his/her responses to the
questions in the discussion forum.

You, as a facilitator, should review all the posting, give your
comments, explain basic principles of the course and comment on how
they could meet the participants expactations.

Other participants can review and comment on other participants
responses - there could be a discussion.

Required resources

online asynchronous discussion board

access to email

Examples

None

Comments

The activity can be done in groups - each group providing
collaborative response to all the questions.

The description of the activity was prepared on the basis
of R. Watkins's "75 e-learning activities".

Comments

Methopedia credits

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